Year 3 swimming - how does it work at your school?

[tumbletumble]

I've just received a letter about swimming classes next term for DS1. I understand it is a government requirement that children are offered swimming lessons. At our school, parents have been asked to pay £58 total for the lessons / transport (although the wording is 'voluntary contribution').

I'm happy to pay, but several parents are making a fuss about it, especially if they already pay for swimming lessons for their DC outside school.

I can see the parents' point of view, but can also see that's it a quite a large financial outlay from the school's budget. Just wondering how it works at your school? Does the school pay or do the parents?

My DS is too young for this yet, but I wouldn't be paying. If it's on the curriculum, the school pay for it. I know that my parents didn't shell out for school swimming lessons, or even the coach hire.

It's not the paying for something that we also do outside of school which would be the issue for me, but that it's a requirement on the schools to offer this.

Our school asks for a voluntary contribution. Not everyone pays it. If they do not get enough funds in to cover costs and cannot take money from the school fund in theory the lessons could be cancelled.

had to pay for dd. some parents not many didn't send children. was about £46 I think. I made it clear to teacher dd swam outside of school and didn't want it to interfer with and what badges she had already received.

was bit annoyed about having to pay so much but did cover coach there and back and use of pool and teachers. also didn't want her to be different and miss out so I paid it.

I've never paid,it's been free at all the schools my kids have gone to.

It has be a voluntary payment as it's on the curriculum, that does sound steep, ours pay a pound a week. All that will happen if you don't pay is that the staff in the office will think your a tight fisted twat ;)

DSs got one term of swimming for half an hour a week in Years 3 & 4 which we had to pay around £30 for.

I wasn't thrilled but he got to go swimming with his class mates and he enjoyed it as it took up half the morning.

Some parents complained their little darlings weren't being challenged enough in the lesson.

The costs for it at our school are covered by the PTA.

I think it has got to happen, so if parents don't volunteer to pay, then the money comes from another pot, a school club might get cancelled, cooking class, books for library etc.

Our school only offers lessons to children who cannot swim. You fill out a form. If you say your children can swim 20 meters (or something like that), then no swimming for you.

For those who do go to the lessons, a vast minority, parents are required to take them directly to the swimming pool in the morning and bring them back to school. The pool used is about half a mile from the school. I don't believe there is any payment.

My DC's school waste one afternoon per week for the whole of Year 3 taking the kids by coach to local pool. Parents are asked to pay £110 towards transport. I didn't pay as my DC had already had private lessons and was a strong swimmer. If it's on the curriculum it should come out of taxation; I don't expect to pay for literacy lessons so I'm not paying for something which the school claimed was a statutory requirement.

At our school they don't offer swimming lessons at all! In an area where the majority of families can't afford swimming lessons.

We don't pay anything. The children walk as the pool is only about 15 minute walk away from school.

We don't pay anything. The school sets aside some money from its annual budget. If thh were asking for the amount you've stated, about 50% wouldn't be able to pay. So the school covers it, partly from school fund, partly from its main budget.

Have one term of weekly lessons.

I would pay if they asked. But I do pay school fund (£20 per annum per family but I pay more because can afford it and some don't pay at all, because they understandably can't).

Our year 3's walk for 20 minutes to the nearest pool, which is operated by a GDST school. The school pays for pool/instructors. I think it comes to about £1800-2000 a year.

I can afford it but didn't pay because my son didn't want to go.

Ill take him swimming myself in a much more fun environment.

I don't really care if that makes it difficult for other families or the school.

I think they have to provide the swimming for free, but they are allowed to ask for voluntary contributions towards the cost of transport.

Free here for half a term each yr from yr1 onwards. They walk to the pool.

Our y4s get about 8 lessons, free. They walk to and from the pool so it's good exercise. 2 instructors, a couple of parents help with walking down and overseeing changing rooms. Most children last year couldn't swim at the start but could at the end, so it is valuable for our school.

DC's school doesn't offer swimming for this very reason. The cost of transport works out to be more than the cost of private lessons. The school can't afford to foot the bill for transport and thinks it ludicrous to charge parents for it when they could get lessons for less. Plus lots of familes are struggling financially and wouldn't be able to find the money anyway.

I opted out of this last year.

dd in year 3 was/is a very strong swimmer at the local swimming club, swims in 50m races.

We were expected to pay £40 a term for her to stay in the baby pool as only Yr 4+ went into the big pool

it would have been a complete waste of money and very strange for dd!

No swimming at our school until Yr4. They have lessons in terms 5 and 6 and then again in Terms 1 and 2 when they are Yr5. The transport cost was @£40

DD has just gone into Yr4 but already swims competitively for a local club so I cant see the "lessons" being any benefit at all but I wouldn't want to say to her that she couldnt go!